Somewhere In Between
by Sunny's Priceless Dream
Summary: She struggled to pay rent, and buy food. At twenty two, this isn't where she imagined her life would be, barely making ends meet.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- So I abandoned my rule of no more then two stories at a time, as I currently have about four out. Oh well. I'll finish each of them eventually. I was talking to Becky, and she made a comment that was something like "What wouldn't you do for Ted?", and this story came about. It's not about what a girl would do for her favorite wrestler or anything, this is different from what I usually write. **

**I'm not sure who the pairing is going to be yet, you guys can help me out with ideas for that. **

**XX**

Kendra sat on her couch, that was ready to fall apart at any second. She sat staring at the old television, patiently waiting for the news to begin. All she really wanted to see was this weeks lottery numbers. Taking a bite out of her sandwich on stale bread, she pulled her two tickets out from her pocket. She knew she had better things to use her money for then cheap lottery tickets, but that didn't stop her from hoping she'd get lucky one day.

"And tonight's winning numbers are...13....9...24...18...6...and 11." The TV anchor announced, just a few minutes past seven thirty.

Kendra sighed to herself, and threw the losing tickets onto the table in front of her. "Maybe next week." She told herself, week after week.

Her phone began to ring while she was in the bathroom dressing for work. Walking into her living room in her underclothes, she answered the phone after tripping over boxes scattered throughout the room.

"Hello?" She doesn't know why she always says hello, when it's always the same person.

"Do you want a ride to work tonight?" It was Paige, just as she suspected.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Paige was in the same predicament she was, except Paige was much better off. They both worked in the cigarette and alcohol outlet a few blocks over, _Wasted. _Of course the job paid little to nothing, offered no benefits, and rarely gave either girl any time off. The only difference with Paige was, she wasn't struggling to make ends meet at the end of each month. She had a boyfriend, Tony, who made more money then either girl ever dreamed of. Trafficking drugs, no doubt, but it was still money.

"I'll be pulling up to your apartment in five minutes." All Kendra heard was a click. Typical Paige. They weren't exactly friends, just knew each other from work. After working with a girl for six years, you usually begin talking to them. Kendra went back to the bathroom to finish dressing, and cursed when her phone began to ring a few minutes later.

"I'll be out in a minute Paige!." Kendra said.

"This is Mr. Rhodes, your landlord." A deep voice sounded on the other end of the phone.

"Oh, sorry sir. Did you need something?"

"Kendra, you're two months behind in rent, and I can't let it go anymore." You could tell he didn't want to do this, but he had to make a living too.

"I know, I'm sorry. Just give me to the end of the week, and I'll deposit four hundred." She had to wait until she got her next paycheck, then add it to her other savings to make the payment.

"You owe more then four hundred Kendra, you owe six fifty."

"Can I pay you four hundred Friday, and two fifty the following week?" She begged. It was the only way she could afford it.

"I suppose, but the following week, next months rent I due." She just couldn't win. Nothing she ever did put her ahead. She couldn't remember the last time she rented a movie, or ate out in a restaurant. She'd been working since she was eighteen years old, and at twenty four, nothing was any easier.

"I'll figure something out Mr. Rhodes. I have to go to work now though."

"I hope to be hearing from you soon Ms. Arnold." Kendra just hung up, willing her tears not to fall. She couldn't afford it all. Rent went up seventy five dollars in the past four months, and on two fifty a week, she couldn't afford three fifty a month.

She grabbed her purse, that held nothing but pens, and a checkbook with the balance of zero.

Maybe she'd hit the lottery next week.

Just maybe, the next lottery winner would be from Jackson, Mississippi.

**XXX**

"Cody Rhodes, what time is my hair appointment?"

"I think three?" Cody said, not looking up from his video game.

"Exactly. You think three? WELL GUESS WHAT ASSCLOWN? IT WAS AT ONE." Chris screamed. He just got off the phone with his hair stylist, Francis, who informed him he missed an appointment.

"Chris, it's not my job to keep dates of you appointments." Cody told him, still not looking up from his game.

"Stop playing that game of Zelda Legends." Chris demanded.

"It's Legend of Zelda." Cody corrected, not helping his case any. Ted snickered from the corner of the room, flipping through a magazine.

"I DON'T CARE IF IT WAS 'CHRIS JERICHO IS AMAZING', PUT IT DOWN AND LISTEN TO ME." Chris screamed again. It was amazing how this man didn't have high blood pressure problems, or heart failure. What was even more amazing, was that he had his voice box still intact.

"Chris, I almost have it beat. What do you want?" Cody asked, sighing as he got hit with something in the game.

"I want to know how you messed up my hair appointment?"

"Why don't you just hire someone to take care of everything for you?" Cody suggested, still not looking at Chris, who looked like steam was ready to come out of his ears.

"I remember dates and times fine. Why would you suggest such a horrible thing anyway?" Chris was appalled. Who did Cody think he was?

"Yeah Chris, hire a personal assistant to care of everything." Ted said, putting his magazine down and looking at Chris.

"You mean like a personal assistant?" Cody was ready to tell him that that's what Ted just said, but refrained from it.

"Exactly."

"I'm such a genius." Chris proclaimed.

"We'll be in Jackson, Mississippi in two days. Start looking there." Ted said. Jackson was about thirty minutes from his home in Clinton, so he was familiar with the area.

"How about I start looking in Jackson, Mississippi?" Chris asked, going through his leather pants in his suitcase.

"Good idea."


	2. Chapter 2: Mini Marts and piss

**A/N- I'm a roll with these updates. **

**What do you think the pairing in this should be? Jericho/Kendra, Cody/Kendra, or ...Ted/Kendra....that last one was hard to say. **

**I have an idea of who I am going to go with, I just want to know what you all think. **

**XX**

_**Somewhere In Between**_

Two days later, and Kendra was going through her same routine. She even thought about screening her calls to avoid bill collectors, then realized that would cost money. She owed car insurance, the electricity bill, and water bill. All on top of the rent that was still unpaid. She wasn't lying when she told her landlord she had the money, but she unexpectedly had to spend it. She cut her arm at work on a broken bottle, and it required stitches. Of course she had no insurance, so she had to pay for it out of her pocket.

"I say we make our way into town, and check out the new club."

"Sure, just let me withdraw some money out of the bank." Kendra wasn't one for sarcasm, but in moments like this, it was called for.

"Kendra, come on. You never do anything fun. It's always work, work, work with you." Paige complained. She regrets ever coming here. She thought that just maybe, she'd get Kendra out tonight. They had a rare night off, and she wanted to go out, Kendra on the other hand, didn't.

"Paige, I have to be at work in seven hours. So one, I don't want to waste sleep time getting drunk, and two, I can't afford it. I'm sorry I can't live the life of luxury like you do, but some of us have things to worry about." Kendra never did understand why Paige worked. She has been dating the same man since Kendra knew her, and there was no reason for her to hold this job.

"I wasn't aware I was too good for you." Click. Kendra sighed and hung up the phone. She didn't mean to snap but sometimes Paige just didn't understand.

She strolled into her small kitchen in search of something to eat. Her stomach was reminding her that she hadn't eaten in well over twenty four hours. She rummaged though her refrigerator in search of something edible. In the end, all she came up with was bologna.

"Bologna with no bread. How appetizing." She grabbed the few dollars she had on her dresser and decided to head down to a mini mart about a mile away.

**XX**

"Aren't you from around here? How the hell did we end up here?"

"No, I grew up in Clinton, not Jackson." Ted corrected.

"I clearly remember you saying you knew your way around."

"Christopher you're putting words into my mouth. I simply said I could get us here. Besides, we are joyriding, which means there is no destination."

"How far is it to Clinton jerkoff?"

"About an hour."

"I got to piss, so pull into that mini mart." Cody spoke up from the backseat.

"...Did Cody just say piss?" Ted asked slowly.

"He did. Before long, he'll say sex without blushing. Our boy is growing up." Chris wiped a fake tear from his eye and pulled into the gas station.

"While Cody goes and pisses, I'm going to go inside and get food and something drink."

"I'm going to go with you while Cody pisses."

"We should go in now then, I doubt it will take Cody long to piss."

"Would you two stop it!" Cody slammed his door shut angrily. He says one little thing and it blows into this. Those two men were infuriating. They were a match made in heaven.

"Way to go Theodore. You PISSED him off."

"He gets so PISSY sometimes." Both men laughed at their not-so-clever jokes as they walked inside. An older man was sitting at the counter reading, not paying any attention to the small store. There was no one else inside that they could see.

"I'll get the drinks asswipe. You get the snacks. Get Cody those spicy things that give him problems at night." Chris yelled across the small mini mart. Ted smiled and did as he was told. What a night this would be. After grabbing plenty of chips, crackers, and anything else he could get his hands on, he walked up to the front counter. There was a woman in front of him.

"I thought bread was 2.19?"

"It was raised a week ago, sweetheart." The old man had a look of sympathy in his eyes.

"I don't have three dollars. Can I give you this, and the other eighty cents when I get paid? I promise I will. I'll give you my name, address, telephone number, and where I work." Ted stood back in confusion. He didn't mean to listen in but he couldn't help it.

"I'm sorry miss. I can't." The man looked apologetically towards her. This happened a lot and he learned to deal with it.

"I understand." Dejectedly, the young woman turned to leave. She walked past Ted with her shoulders slumped. Ted stepped up to the register.

"Uh, add the bread to my total." Grabbing the bread, he quickly turned to follow the woman out the door.

He wasn't sure what to do now.

"Ma'am?...Hey, you. Girl walking." That seemed to get her attention. She turned around and look at him questionably.

"I don't have money. Don't bother trying to rob me." Ted half smiled.

"No,...here." He shoved the bread at her.

"Did you steal this?" She looked from the bread up to Ted.

"No....I paid for it."

"Thanks I think." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her two one dollar bills.

"It's not all of it, but here, take this." She tried giving the money to him but he wouldn't take it.

"No, it's fine. Do you need anything else?" Ted asked. He felt bad for her.

"How about a good paying job so I can buy my own bread?" She joked laughing a little. This was a little awkward for her. Chris's job opening immediately popped into Ted's head.

"I think I can do that." Her smile faded.

"I'm not a hooker."

"I didn't say you were."

"THEODORE! Don't think you're sticking me with your bill. Get your ass in here and pay for your junk." Chris yelled as soon as he opened the door to the store.

"Do you need a ride somewhere?" Ted asked. He saw her look from him to Jericho, back to him again. He could just imagine what she was thinking.

"Um.."

"You don't have to worry. It's Jericho. He's harmless. He has a big mouth and never shuts up. He wouldn't harm a fly. Though he thinks he is the greatest thing in the world." Ted maybe should have explained that they were wrestlers, but that thought never crossed his mind.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. There's also Cody. You'll like him. He's shy, rarely talks, and is basically Jericho's bitch." Ted informed her.

"I don't know.."

"You won't be bored. I can assure you of that." Ted promised.

"Okay." She reluctantly agreed. She was too tired to walk home tonight. Ted didn't seem like trouble, and neither did this Chris fellow. She hasn't seen Cody yet.

He was still pissing.

Ted led her over to the car where Jericho was standing, and walked in to pay for his stuff. He returned to the car to see Chris telling a joke making the young woman laugh.

"Did you guys pick up another hitchhiker? Remember what happened last time? We got stuck with Manu." Cody complained when he reached the car.

"You done pissing, Junior?" Chris asked, ignoring Cody's comment.

"I hate you." Cody said while getting back into the car. The other three followed after him. The woman slowly got in beside Cody and didn't say anything. She enjoyed seeing these three interact with each other.

"So what is your name toots?" Chris asked looking through the rear view mirror.

"Kendra Arnold." The three men nodded, and it was silent for a few minutes.

"We have drinks, you can have a few sips." Ted said. Before Kendra could answer, Chris cut in.

"Sips spells piss."

"You two assholes planned that." Cody kicked Ted's seat from behind.

Kendra just laughed.


End file.
